Bernie Boudreau

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Bernie Boudreau

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|KC|size=100%}}

| image =

| caption =

| office1 = Leader of the Government in the Senate

| primeminister1 = Jean Chrétien

|deputy1 = Dan Hays

| 1blankname1 = {{nowrap|Whip}}

| 1namedata1 = Léonce Mercier

| term_start1 = October 4, 1999

| term_end1 = January 8, 2001

| predecessor1 = Alasdair Graham

| successor1 = Sharon Carstairs

| office2 = Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)

| primeminister2 = Jean Chrétien

| minister2 = Brian Tobin

| term_start2 = October 17, 2000

| term_end2 = January 8, 2001

| predecessor2 = Position established

| successor2 = Robert Thibault

| office3 = Minister of Finance of Nova Scotia

| premier3 = John Savage

| term_start3 = June 11, 1993

| term_end3 = June 27, 1996

| predecessor3 = Chuck MacNeil

| successor3 = Bill Gillis

{{Collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes |Parliamentary constituencies

|titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes

| office5 = Canadian Senator
from Nova Scotia

| term_start5 = October 4, 1999

| term_end5 = October 26, 2000

| nominator5 = Jean Chrétien

| appointer5 = Roméo LeBlanc

| predecessor5 = Peggy Butts

| successor5 = Gerard Phalen (2001)

| office9 = Member of the
Nova Scotia House of Assembly
for Cape Breton The Lakes

| term_start9 = September 6, 1988

| term_end9 = September 6, 1997

| predecessor9 = John Newell

| successor9 = Helen MacDonald{{Collapsed infobox section end}}}}

| birth_name = James Bernard Boudreau

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|7|25}}

| birth_place = Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| residence =

| party = Liberal

| occupation = Politician

}}

James Bernard Boudreau {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|KC}} (born July 25, 1944) is a Canadian lawyer and politician.

Provincial politics

Boudreau was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from Cape Breton The Lakes in the 1988 provincial election.{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201988.pdf |title=Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1988 |publisher=Elections Nova Scotia |year=1988 |access-date=September 23, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512225642/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201988.pdf |archive-date=May 12, 2014 }} He was re-elected in 1993,{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201993.pdf |title=Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1993 |publisher=Elections Nova Scotia |year=1993 |access-date=September 23, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006070337/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201993.pdf |archive-date=October 6, 2014 }} and was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Finance in the Liberal government of John Savage.{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1993/06/12+100.raw+PE93Elect|title=Historic Liberal cabinet sworn in|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=June 12, 1993|access-date=October 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000830201132/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1993%2F06%2F12+100.raw+PE93Elect|archive-date=August 30, 2000|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=New cabinet in Nova Scotia smaller by one|work=The Globe and Mail|date=June 12, 1993}} From 1996, he served as Minister of Health. When Savage resigned in 1997, Boudreau entered the leadership race to succeed him,{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/specialevents/libleader/stories/970403101.html|title=Boudreau sets sights on top job|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=April 3, 1997|access-date=October 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010712161455/http://www.herald.ns.ca/specialevents/libleader/stories/970403101.html|archive-date=July 12, 2001}} but was defeated by Russell MacLellan,{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/specialevents/libleader/stories/970714149.html|title=Boudreau ponders political future|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=July 14, 1997|access-date=September 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980204072410/http://www.herald.ns.ca/specialevents/libleader/stories/970714149.html|archive-date=February 4, 1998}} prompting Boudreau to leave provincial politics.{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1997/11/05+255.raw+Politics|title=NDP will have first C.B. MLA in years|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=November 5, 1997|access-date=September 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000606063543/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1997%2F11%2F05+255.raw+Politics|archive-date=June 6, 2000|url-status=dead}}

Federal politics

In October 1999, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien recommended Boudreau for appointment to the Senate of Canada, and to the Cabinet as Leader of the Government in the Senate, replacing Alasdair Graham who had been Nova Scotia's representative in the government since June 1997.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/pm-appoints-bernie-boudreau-to-senate-1.183109|title=PM appoints Bernie Boudreau to Senate|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=October 4, 1999|access-date=May 7, 2018}} It was also announced that Boudreau would be a candidate when the next federal election was held in order to help rebuild the federal Liberals in Nova Scotia, after the party lost all eleven seats in the 1997 federal election.{{cite news|title=PM recruits Boudreau for Senate|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=October 5, 1999}}

Prior to the 2000 election, Boudreau was appointed Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/bernie-boudreau-takes-over-acoa-amid-criticism-1.237631|title=Bernie Boudreau takes over ACOA amid criticism|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=October 18, 2000|access-date=May 7, 2018}} Boudreau resigned from the Senate in order to run in Dartmouth for a seat in the House of Commons of Canada.{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?2000/10/25+194.raw+FE00Oct25+2|title=Boudreau betting big on winning MP's job|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=October 25, 2000|access-date=October 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050124084341/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?2000%2F10%2F25+194.raw+FE00Oct25+2|archive-date=January 24, 2005|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?2000/10/26+125.raw+FE00Oct26+2|title=Boudreau officially on the campaign trail|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=October 26, 2000|access-date=October 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050124094536/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?2000%2F10%2F26+125.raw+FE00Oct26+2|archive-date=January 24, 2005|url-status=dead}} After a hotly contested campaign, he was defeated by incumbent New Democratic Party Member of Parliament Wendy Lill.{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?2000/11/28+235.raw+FE00Nov28+2|title=NDP's Lill keeps Boudreau, McInnis at bay in Dartmouth|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=November 28, 2000|access-date=October 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050124090928/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?2000%2F11%2F28+235.raw+FE00Nov28+2|archive-date=January 24, 2005|url-status=dead}}